Substandard dairy products and cheeses seized… factories shut down

The Ministries of Agriculture and Industry announced that, “as part of ongoing national efforts to protect the health of Lebanese consumers, safeguard the livestock sector, and support sound food production, they are continuing to implement a strict inspection campaign targeting dairy, cheese, and milk-product manufacturing plants across various Lebanese regions, particularly in the Bekaa, in coordination with the competent security and judicial authorities.”

In a statement, the two ministries said that “this campaign comes as a continuation of the plan led by the Ministry of Agriculture to protect livestock breeders, encourage the use of fresh natural milk in food industries, and combat fraud and counterfeiting in products that rely on substitute and unhealthy materials, in parallel with the Ministry of Industry’s follow-up on its plan to shut down unlicensed factories or those that fail to meet public health and safety requirements.”

They explained that “based on the work of the joint committee between the two ministries, specialized technical teams, supported by members of the Financial Crimes Bureau and State Security, carried out a series of raids and field inspections targeting factories that manufacture and market products presented to consumers as natural milk derivatives, such as cheeses, labneh, and mozzarella, while some of them are in fact produced using vegetable oils and substitute materials in violation of approved specifications and standards.”

The campaign resulted in “the closure of three additional factories in the Taanayel area, which were, according to the statement of one factory manager, manufacturing products on behalf of Lebanese companies distributed in a number of cooperatives and commercial markets in Lebanon, particularly in Beirut. Field inspections also showed that the factories in question do not meet the minimum required health and technical conditions, bringing the number of factories closed to date to 15 in the Bekaa, in addition to two warehouses in Beirut.”

They stressed that “this campaign is ongoing and will not stop, and will cover all Lebanese territory without exception, within the framework of a clear and firm policy to confront food fraud and tampering with citizens’ health, and to take on everyone seeking to make illicit profits at the expense of consumer health, the rights of farmers and livestock breeders, and industrial institutions committed to the laws and regulations in force.”

They called on “citizens to exercise caution and refrain from purchasing or consuming any products of unknown origin or that do not meet specifications, especially those manufactured in unlicensed factories and outside the framework of official oversight, given the serious risks they may pose to public health and food safety.”

They also emphasized that “protecting consumers, strengthening food security, and supporting clean and compliant national production represent a shared national responsibility,” affirming that “the Lebanese state will not allow markets to be turned into a space for chaos or food fraud, and that the relevant authorities will continue to take the necessary legal and regulatory measures against violators, in order to preserve citizens’ health and consumer confidence in Lebanese products.”